Index tab for address plates



Nbv. 3, 1925.

q C. CHISHOLM INDEX TAB FOR ADDRESS PLATES Filed May 61925 I U agave/aide! r g-5 fifia fii w Grammy Patented Nov. 3, 1925..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFTON CHISHOLM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MULTI- GRAPH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

INDEX TAB FOR ADDRESS PLATES.

Application filed May 6, 1925- Serial No. 28,374.

To all whom, it may concern:

- Be it known that I, CLIFTON CHIsHoLM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in an Index Tab for Address Plates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings.

In using address plates, it is frequently necessary to provide means such as index tabs, whereby the plates may be distin guished one from the other, so that they may be classified either for the purpose of enabling ready manual sorting, or to enable an address printing machine to mechanically distinguish between address plates and print from certain only of the plates.

It is the object of my invention to provide such mutual formation of the address plate and index tab that the latter may be readily mounted on the former in any desired position, and while being readily manually removable whenever desired, will hold its position on the plate very firmly and is not adapted to be displaced along the plate, or swung out of true position thereon, or inadvertently disconnected from the plate.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective of the address plate with the tab attached; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective of the tab alone; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a tab and a portion of the plate looking from the top; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the tab and a portion of the plate looking from the bottom.

The plate is designed to carry an address in some suitable manner. As shown, this plate comprises a sheet metal member 10,

having upstanding rows of buttons 11 connected with the plate in the line of a row by corrugations 12, while having overhanging edges 13 disconnected from the plate "and at some distance above it. Surmounting these rows of projections are shown embossed printing strips 20 having inwardly projecting edge flanges 21 extending beneath the edges of the projections. Such a construction, which is more fully described and claimed in patents Nos. 1,438,580, 1,438,582 and 1,438,584 issued December 12th, 1922 to The American Multigraph Company, is convenient for embodiment with my tab, but

does not directly coact therewith, and ac cordingly may be changed as desired.

The portion of the address plate coacting with the tab comprises a top edge 15 having a rolled-over rib, a row of rectangular openings 16 parallel with the top edge and some distance inwardly therefrom, and a row of rearwardly extending bosses 17, one between each hole and the adjacent edge of the plate. The rolled edge, the holes and the bosses all coact with the tab, which will now be de scribed.

The tab 30 is a single piece of metal in the form of a narrow strip having a portion 31 bent over nearly parallel with the body for approximately one-half the length of the tab. The curve 32 connecting the two legs of the tab continues for somewhat more than a semi-circumference producing the slight shoulder 33, from which point the shorter leg inclines slightly toward the longer leg. The extreme end of the leg 31 is formed with a bent up portion 34, and behind this is a corrugation 35 concave toward the longer leg of the tab and adapted to coact with the rib 15 of the plate.

The longer leg of the tab near its free end is narrowed and bent toward the general plane of the other leg for a short distance as shown at 36, then continues parallel with the main portion of the longer leg as at 37, thus providing a narrow tongue which lies forwardly of the longer leg by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the plate. Formed in the longer leg of the tab is a slot 38 in the vicinity of the region where the other leg terminates.

In use, the tab is mounted on the plate by placing the longer leg of the tab on the rear side of the plate, passing the tongue 37 through one of the rectangular openings 16 and with the tongue extending a short distance on the front side of the plate, bringing the inclined end'34 into alignment with the plate rib 15, then shoving the tab longitudinally thereof, causing the incline 34 to ride up on the rib of the plate and the cor rugation 35 to come over the rib 1 5 and spring down on it. In the position a rearward boss 17 on the plate occupies the tab slot 38, the elongation of which allows the sliding of the tab while the boss is in the slot.

When positioned the tab is'held to the the plate.

' pulled free in the direction of the length of the tab;

It will be observed that the distance from the end of the longer leg of the tab to the end of the shorter leg is slightly greater than the distance from the rib 15 of the plate to the tar edge out the holes 16, while the distance from the oilset 36 of the longer leg to the end of the shorter leg is less than the distance from the rib of the plate to the tar edge of the holes. Accordingly, in mounting the tab on the plate it may be held with a longer leg on the rear face of the plate and at a somewhat an acute angle thereto, and the tongue passed through the selected opening in the plate, then the tab swung toward the plate, so that the longer leg lies against the rear face, and then shoved longitudinally of itself until the corrugation 35 registers with the rib 15 which takes placev just as the offset engages or nearly engages the far edge of the rectangular opening. 7

The rearward projections 17 of the plate are very conveniently and cheaply made by indenting the upper surface of the plate; that is to say, rearwardly embossing these projections. However, they might be made in other manner if desired, or if desired the interlock between the plate and tab might be made by making the projection on the tab and the slot in the plate.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The combination, with an address plate having a series of openings, of an index tab and having a tongue portion adapted to extend through one of such openings onto the opposite side of the plate, and having a locking portion to bear on the plate in another region.

2. In combination with an address plate having means thereon for carrying an address and having a row of openings parallel with one edge of the plate, and a two-legged tab having a tongue portion of one leg adapted to extend through one of the openings whereby the body of such leg lies on one side of the plate between the opening and the edge and the tongue portion lies on the other side of the plate, and means on the other leg of the tab for holding it to" the plate in another region.

In combination with-an address plate having a series of openings, an index tab having a leg adapted to lie in one side of the plate and provided with a tongue adapted to extend through such opening onto the opposite side, said tab having a bent-over portion to engage the'other side of the plate adjacent the top edge.

at. The combination, with an address pla having through it a ries of holes parallel with the top edge, of a tab having two legs, and a tongue oii'set from the end or" one leg toward the plane otthe other, said tongue being adapted to lie on one side of the plate while the body of the leg is on the other, and said other leg being adapted to engage the plate in another region.

5. The combination of an address plate having a rib along one edge, and a series of holes parallel with the rib, a tab intermediately bent to present two legs, one leg being offset whereby it may be passer through one of the holes and lie on the opposite face of the plate, and the other leg being formed with a corrugation to engage the rib on the plate.

6. The combination of an address plate having a rib along one edge and a row of holes parallel with the rib, and an index tab having a long leg and a short leg, the long leg having a portion adjacent one end ofiset toward the plane of the short leg, the short leg having adjacent its end a corrugation, the offset and corrugation hearing such special relationship to the rib and the holes in the plate that the offset may occupy an opening while the corrugation engagesthc rib of the plate.

7. The combination of an address plate having means thereon for holding an ad dress and having a row of openings parallel with one edge, said edge being formed with a rib and a tab made of a doubled sheet of metal having one leg formed with a portion adapted to project through an opening and lieon the opposite side of a plate, and the other leg formed with means to engage the rib, and means to cause an engagement between the tab and plate in a region intermediate ot the hole and rib;

8. The combination of an address plate having means thereon for holding an address and having a row of openings parallel with one edge, and a two-legged tab having a long leg provided with a portion adapted to project through one of the openings and lie on the opposite side of a plate and ashort leg formedwith means to engage such opposite side of the plate and a projection and slot adapted one to enter the other and one carried by the plate between the hole and' the-edge, and the other carried by long leg of the tab.

9. In combination with an address plate having a rowof projections parallel with the edge,-a row of holes parallel with the edge and beyond the projections, the holes and projections being laterally aligned, and an index tab, and having a tongue adapted to project through one of the holes and a slot adapted to embrace the corresponding projection.

10. An index tab of the character described comprising a strip of metal intermediately doubled on itself to provide two legs, a shoulder on one leg and a tongue portion formed on the other leg parallel with the body of the leg but oil'set therefrom toward the plane of the leg having the shoulder.

11. An indextab of the character described comprising a strip of metal intermediately doubled on itself to provide two legs, a corrugation on one leg and a tongue portion formed on the other leg, parallel with the body of the leg but oilset therefrom toward the plane of the leg having the corrugation.

12. An index tab of the character described comprising a strip of metal intermediately doubled on itself to provide two legs of unequal length, the shorter leg having its end portion inclined away from the longer leg, and the longer leg having a tongue portion parallel with the body of the leg but ofiset therefrom toward the plane 01": the shorter leg.

13. An index tab having a longleg and a short leg, the short leg having a corrugation adjacent its free end and concave toward the long leg, the long leg having adjacent its free end a portion ottset toward the plane of the short leg and then continuing parallel with the long leg, there being a slot through the long leg in a region between the offset and the termination of the short leg.

14. An address plate having means thereon for carrying an address and having a row of openings parallel with one edge of the plate, and a row of projections between the openings and edge and laterally aligned with the openings.

15. An address plate having a rib along one edge and a row of rectangular holes parallel with the rib, and a row of rearward projecting bosses between the holes and rib and parallel therewith.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

CLIFTON CHISHOLM. 

